Foolish
by millenniumthief
Summary: Téa knew she couldn't have what she wanted, and that she never would. But sometimes desperation goes to far, and people end up doing foolish things...


Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or Yu-gi-oh!

A/N: This is my entry for the third round of Compy's pairings contest: Manipulashipping (Malik/Anzu)! Yet another pairing I hadn't even considered existing! And somehow this twisted, depressing little fic came of it. Please let me know how I managed. I don't write either of these characters very often.

Also, I know many people use the Japanese names, but I feel more comfortable writing with the dub names. I hope this doesn't cause too much confusion.

Foolish

It was foolish.

It was petty, stupid, ridiculous, and futile, and even then there weren't enough words for Téa to describe the feelings tugging at her heart, pulling her back to where it had all ended…for her at least. To Yugi, the Ceremonial Duel had been like a rite of passage and a stepping stone towards a new life. For him, and everyone else, it had been a beginning.

Téa, however, had seen things differently. As the Pharaoh left, so many problems came to light. She had learned in the Memory World that Atem was practically destined for the young magician's apprentice, Mana, and Téa knew that she would be better with Yugi anyway. Still, from that moment on, she could only see the Pharaoh reflected in those clear, purple eyes, and the way Yugi carried himself so confidently. It hurt too much. Téa's beginning had felt like the end.

So here she stood, with a ticket clutched in her hand to board the plane bound for Egypt instead of America. Instead of moving forward with her life, she was travelling back to the past and it was too late to turn back.

She stepped hesitantly onto the plane, second-guessing herself temporarily one last time until she realized she needed this closure and didn't even know why. Crossing the aisle, she sat down to "enjoy" the hours-long flight to Cairo, turning on her music player and skipping all the songs that would remind her of what she had lost.

--

Not much had changed in the airport from the previous time Téa had been there. Looking to her left, she saw a vendor much like the one she had bought the cartouche from. Ignoring the sudden stab to her heart at the realization, she continued through the crowded building. Even though it was packed with people, it felt lonely. It was empty to her without her friends and loved ones around.

Arriving at the counter for car rentals, she knew she only had one more chance to turn back and pretend she hadn't spent the last few months of her life yearning to come back to this place. As she argued with herself, she failed to hear the salesperson calling her with a heavy Arabic accent.

"…ss? Miss, did you want to rent a car today?" she said, trying to get Téa's attention. Finally waving a folder in front of her eyes, she succeeded.

"What…?" she asked slowly, confused for a second.

The woman behind the counter barely suppressed her sigh of disdain at having to repeat herself. "Were you interested in renting one of our cars?"

Stealing herself, Téa answered with a sure "Yes," and filled out the cumbersome paperwork before getting handed the keys to her newly rented vehicle.

She remembered the path to the tomb like it had only been a few weeks and not the years she had known it to be, past the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids and further on into the valley. A sense of apprehension overtook her as she pulled the car over to the side of the cliffs and stepped out. Honestly, what _was _she doing there? What exactly was she hoping to find? Even she didn't know, but approaching the collapsed entrance, she slumped against it, a shell of her former, cheerful self.

"Pharaoh…I know you had to go back. You _had_ to, but I wish you could have stayed longer. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you! I didn't want to see you leave. I wanted to be selfish for once and do what _I _wanted! But I couldn't…do anything anyway. I feel so lost now…"

Sliding slowly down the rocks, she ended up kneeling on the ground, sand scratching her knees through the thin leggings beneath her skirt. She couldn't bring herself to care while sitting there, tears tracking down her face.

"Atem, why can't you be here? Why can't I just move on like everyone else so my heart will realize you're gone?"

There was no response, and she had expected as much, but that didn't stop the sudden squeeze in her chest when nobody answered.

She wasn't sure how long she had been curled in front of the collapsed cave when she heard a vehicle approaching. Time had no meaning to someone who felt she had nothing to live for. If Téa had been paying attention, she would have realized how strange it was for someone to come to such an isolated location, but she didn't move until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jerking back to awareness, she spun out of the person's grasp and into a defensive stance.

The other person also jumped back, giving her enough space to be comfortable. He sighed. "Téa…I wasn't expecting to see you back here…"

The first thing that penetrated Téa's confused mind was the piercing purple eyes gazing at her, and her heart gave a happy leap before being crushed. They were too light, lavender instead of violet…The second fact that she noticed was the messy blonde hair that was reflecting a fair amount of sunlight. She looked away, ashamed at being caught. "Hi, Malik…" she said in a monotone.

He gave a wry smile at her recognition and nodded, even though there was no reason to confirm what she had said. Sensing that she had relaxed, he sat down next to her, maintaining a silence that was both awkward and comfortable. They sat for only a couple of minutes before Malik spoke again.

"I would ask what you were doing here, but I think I already know the answer…I don't want to be harsh, but you realize he's gone, don't you? He can't come back," he said softly.

Téa stiffened beside him, his words striking a chord within her. She looked away from his searching eyes and replied just as quietly. "I know he is, but I still want to hope. I want him to come back because it's just not the same…!"

"Why isn't it, Téa? Why can't you be happy like Yugi is? Or Joey and Tristan?" he pried.

The distraught girl shook her head frantically. "You don't understand! Before the Pharaoh came, _I_ protected Yugi from the bullying. _I_ was the one there for him. But then, he slowly started gaining his own confidence and now that Atem has left, there's no room for me. I feel strange being there when I know he doesn't _need _me anymore. He's grown up so strong…he doesn't need to rely on anyone…"

A look of confusion settled on Malik's features. "But what about your friendship? Surely that is important to him."

"It's too hard…seeing him. I can't take it. He's a lot taller now. He reminds me of…"

Malik sat in thoughtful silence. There wasn't really anything he could do for the heartbroken young woman, and he hadn't had a lot of experience in such matters. But there also wasn't any point in staying out in the desert, especially once he saw the reddening of Téa's skin under the hot sun. He shifted until he was standing, extending out a hand to her. "You'll burn if you stay here. Let's talk when we get back to Cairo."

Nodding, Téa grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull her up. She followed him back to her car and watched as he hopped onto his motorcycle. Thinking back, she should have known it was his bike she had heard pulling up.

She had to drive faster to keep up with Malik. _I guess he still hasn't gotten over the thrill of riding it…_she thought, and it was almost enough to make her grin. Almost…

He led her through some of the crowded streets once they arrived, taking her to the restaurant they had all eaten at when they came the first time. Malik figured they might as well talk over a plate of falafel…after all, she had been sitting there for a long time before he came.

He hadn't considered that Téa might not want to say anything else on the subject. She sat perfectly quiet while picking at the food on her plate. "So…when are you going back home, Téa?" he attempted.

"I'm not. I'm catching a plane to America tomorrow to continue dancing." She sighed, immediately sinking back into her thoughts after she finished speaking.

Malik wasn't sure why, but he didn't like seeing her so dejected. His heart went out to her for what she had been through, but being unable to relate put him at a disadvantage of how to make it better. "Have you already booked a hotel?" he tried again, fully prepared to offer her a place to stay.

"Yes," she answered shortly.

"Oh…"

Téa was obviously dwelling on what had happened during the day, for suddenly she asked, "Malik, how did you know I was there at the shrine?"

"Well…" he started in a slow manner, "We try to pay close attention to what goes on there. One of us, Odeon, Ishizu, or I, will make a daily round to see if anything is disturbed or someone has attempted to enter. There's no telling if there's still a way to get to the Millennium Items or if they were destroyed. It was luck that I happened to actually find you."

"Oh."

An awkward silence persisted for the rest of the meal until both had finished and Téa decided to leave for her hotel. After a short farewell, Malik watched her go, mind jumbled with strange thoughts. His chest panged at her departure, and briefly he wondered if this was the start of what she felt when Atem left…

--

Téa did leave for America the next day, just as she had planned, and for a while she seemed to be doing much better. Every night she danced, and every night she came home exhausted, but with enough money to live comfortably. She became instantly popular in several theaters, allowing her to hold down steady work, a rarity for her profession. Several times, she was actually seen smiling, which caused relief to sweep through her co-workers; they always thought she was too hard on herself.

What a shame she was lying to herself during performances and rehearsals, a great enough actress to fool everyone around her. She could put on a wonderful exterior while still dwelling on the past, and it only got worse when she arrived to her empty apartment and lay down on her bed. Her dreams haunted her, even through the day, and she would wake up at night feeling the tears that streaked down her face as she slept. She could pretend to be perfectly fine while destroying herself inside.

Tonight was one of those nights…

_She was surrounded by her friends, all of them smiling and laughing, and she was giggling right along with them, likely at a joke that Joey had just told. Something beneath the surface told her that something was wrong though. One by one, they started falling silent, staring at her before slowly fading out of her vision like television static. Eventually there was only one person left. _

"_Yugi!" she called frantically. "What's happening to everyone?!"_

_With a smirk that didn't belong twisting his lips, Yugi granted her an answer. "We're leaving you like you left us…you don't belong with us anymore." And he dissolved as well, leaving only violet eyes staring at her. _

Téa awoke with a jolt, wiping away the liquid gathered on her cheeks, shuddering as she thought of how like Atem's eyes Yugi's looked. Those purple eyes…she was entirely obsessed with them, and she couldn't escape. A grim notion invaded her then, and she quickly tallied up her savings and searched for the next available flight to Egypt.

--

In two days, Téa found herself back in front of the collapsed shrine again, but she wasn't there for the Pharaoh exactly…in fact she could hardly believe that she was there in the first place, save for the almost crazed thought possessing her mind. All she had to do was wait.

Time seemed to speed up as she heard an approaching motorcycle, and she straightened as Malik came closer. She knew it could only be him out in the desert, checking to make sure everything was in order. He got off his motorcycle, walking towards her once more.

The two exchanged a pleasant greeting, and when Téa saw Malik's eyes brighten with a happy smile, she knew her plan would work.

It was foolish, but as long as she could pretend, she could have what she wanted. She stared into lavender eyes, imagining those just shades darker with someone else attached.


End file.
